[ VIDEO ] Just remember over the past summer a poll listed both State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lori Lightfoot as under water on the crime issue. After what happened in the Austin neighborhood on the west side last month with no charges for "mutual combatants" she's at an event with the west side NAACP. The State's Attorney claimed to have very little power as far as bail which she says judge's control. She explained a law passed by the state which not the ability to pay cash for bond shouldn't determine whether or not you're held. It should be your threat to public safety should determine whether or not you remain in custody. She's very concerned about the "false narrative" around her job performance as State's Attorney. I don't know if her office's handling of the west side shooting which is also mentioned in this report along with her spat between the Mayor and Police Supt. David Brown has helped change that false nar

 Want to see what the City Council Latino caucus proposes I will share with you this link from WTTW . It almost looks like the current map though some major differences. For example ward 34 would go further north and the ward 17 is expected to have more of a Latino population under this new proposal. Allow me to share more from the Chicago Tribune : The Latino Caucus chairman, 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas, insisted his group simply “followed the data” in drawing the lines. And he acknowledged this map is a jumping-off point to start negotiations with colleagues, particularly those in the 20-strong Black Caucus who don’t want to give up any seats in spite of Black population loss. “The bottom line is, it has to start somewhere,” Villegas said. “This is our start. We’ve been communicating with our colleagues. And we’ve been talking to them, mapping with them, working with them to try to get to a point, those that want to work with us.” The South Side 17th Ward, currently a majority-Bl

  [ VIDEO ] When was the last time we heard from Mike Flannery of WFLD-TV on this blog. The longtime political reporter discusses a poll by Ogden & Fry with regards to whether or not voters would consider giving Mayor Lori Lightfoot a second term on the 5th floor of city hall. And 46% are opposed to giving the Mayor a second term as mayor with 28% unsure and 25% say they're in favor of her getting a second term. Also noted in this report is strong report for her city employee vaccine mandates and firing of those city workers who won't comply. It's making national news the friction between police union leader John Catanzara and the Mayor as far as the vaccine mandate for Chicago Police officers. With concerns that Chicago Police will be at half coverage due to those officers who choose to defy the city's vaccine mandate. Flannery states that we have 16 months before we cast ballots in the 2023 municipal elections for mayor. While I hold out hope that she might decide

  [ VIDEO ] This has been in the news and since I like to cover transit related issues on this blog felt this was necessary to share. Riding CTA will be cheaper once the new budget is approved for 2022. And get this transfers are free which in most parts of the country (for example Atlanta) you don't have to pay for transfers. How many of us remember before the days that you got someone tap for you to board a train that people used to beg for a paper transfer? Also if you use passes they were reduced over the summer in an effort to encourage transit riders to return to using CTA. For next year those prices will remain in effect. For example a 7-day pass will now cost $20 as opposed to $28. Oh and one thing I should've noted base fares will remain the same. $2.25 if you ride the L and $2.25 if you ride the bus and applicable especially if you use a Ventra card. Click this link if you want to see all current CTA fare information .

 State Rep. Nick Smith was in Politico's Playbook yesterday. This is news from Springfield recently: The Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus has formed a political action committee that will be chaired by Reps. Nick Smith and Lakesia Collins. “It’s something we’ve been talking about for a few years, and it took some time to put it together,” Smith told Playbook of the Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus PAC. Black legislators have for years relied on the Black Caucus Foundation to help boost civic and philanthropic efforts in members’ communities. “We felt we needed something to support the caucus politically, too,” Smith said. The goal, said Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Kam Buckner, “is to raise funds, mobilize volunteers, and have an effective apparatus to elect and re-elect members of the Black Caucus.” Creating the PAC comes as the Democratic Party shifts its operations under new leadership. Party members can no longer rely on former House Speaker Michael Madigan

Former South Works site Did someone read my thoughts on the Bears' stadium issue? The one where I propose the Bears come down to the former U.S. Steel South Works site that is waiting for further development? Well I'm not naieve enough to think that I'm the first to come up with, however, I didn't even see this being discussed. Anyway from a recent Sun-Times editorial : We could imagine, for instance, a Bears stadium on land owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority at 35th Street and Shields Avenue, just north of the White Sox’s ballpark. Part of that deal could include the proper redevelopment of the 70 acres of surface parking — also owned by the ISFA — that surround the ballpark. Or, if the Bears would prefer another lakefront stadium, the city could offer a piece of the 500-acre former U.S. Steel South Works site. To do that, City Hall would have to bring the land’s owner, U.S. Steel, to the table. But the steelmaker might be wise to listen, given that two

[ VIDEO ] I'm a few days late however an independent group the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission created a map for consideration by the Chicago City Council. This report from WGN discusses this proposed map. A few things to consider and it wasn't much different from the debate in 2011-2012. The Latino community wanted more representation and this map would create a ward designed to elect an Asian-American to the City Council. For that Asian-American they would likely be elected in a ward centered around the Chinatown community. With this said, I see that Englewood could be one ward which is what R.A.G.E. has often advocated for. How many wards will be drawn to elect Black Aldermen (or is it Alderperson or Alderwomen). The map is a bit different than I'm sure many of us are used to and for the city council itself I'm sure they will debate among themselves how their map for the next 10 years. Mayor Lori Lightfoot campaign in 2019 for an independent commission to

  [ VIDEO ] I've been hearing about this on the radio today and decided this is a good story to share. We see a spat between Mayor Lightfoot and State's Attorney Foxx over the lack of charges in the case of a shooting in Austin on the west side. Both the Mayor and the State's Attorney have polled under water as far as the crime issue this past August. Also bear in mind Cook County voters re-elected Kim Foxx last year. I want to share another post from yesterday over at the CapFax which discusses the lack of charges in the Austin neighborhood shooting from last Friday. Here's one quotable: False arrests and convictions have cost city taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. A more careful and just approach has been warranted, but this is ridic. Is Lightfoot wrong in her comments towards the State's Attorney? Should there be more effort to charge the gunmen? 

Sun-Times : The death of an Illinois State Police trooper found Friday on the Dan Ryan Expressway has been ruled a suicide, according to autopsy results released Saturday. Gerald Mason, 35, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The incident happened around 1:45 p.m. in the inbound lanes of the Dan Ryan at 43rd Street, state police said in a statement. A passerby came to his aid and police drove him to a hospital where he died. ... During a news conference hours after the shooting, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said his troopers may “seem like superheroes on many days, but they are not immortal.” “They are not indestructible. They are humans with hearts, minds and souls, as fragile as the next person,” he said. “They have a breaking point.” I don't want to add anything more to this. Very tragic and again condolences to Trooper Mason's family. 

I want to share a portrait of State Trooper Gerald Mason before we get to what was reported about his death. It's just amazing that he loses his life after the state police's starts to escalate their presence on Chicago area expressways. Tonight, our state is grieving the loss of @ILStatePolice Trooper Gerald Mason. He was a member of our Illinois community and had loved ones who cared for him. Bryan and I are praying for their strength. May all who grieve find peace during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/s2sdXKIvKN — Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton (@LtGovStratton) October 2, 2021

  ChicagoBears.com Allow me to wade into the discussion over a potential new stadium for the Chicago Bears. To be honest, I was rather hoping that Arlington Int'l Race Course would continue to be a venue for horse racing. I also recognize that perhaps that's not the future as the economics of horse racing has changed to the point where there is a question as far as whether or not they can compete with casinos in Illinois. That said we knew for a while there was a possibility that Arlington will close in the future and perhaps one day demolished. One day the Bears might consider going up there to build a brand new football field. It would be very unreal since I've only known them to play at Soldier Field, they also formerly played at this baseball stadium up north that's named for a brand of chewing gum. Either way in the off chance that someone with the Bears or anyone at the City of Chicago reads this (don't matter if they work for an alderman or the mayor) I woul

 A subject I've been looking at of late and it seems there will be some efforts to make the commute safer for everyone traveling through the city. Story from the Lake & McHenry County Scanner The Illinois State Police announced they will be more than doubling their patrol presence on Chicago area expressways beginning Friday in an effort to combat a surge in shootings. The patrol presence will be increased by 157% during “peak criminal activity times” on Chicago area expressways as part of District Chicago’s Safe Drive Detail. This increased presence will begin in the evening and continue through the overnight hour shifts, Illinois State Police (ISP) said. ... As part of the Safe Drive Detail, the ISP will reallocate officers from around the state to District Chicago to prevent roadway violence and provide ISP Patrol District Chicago maximum staffing in high violence shifts throughout each month. There will also be additional enforcement and visibility details taking place thro